Writing shelf for chairs



I May 5, 1953 C. J. BARECKI WRITING SHELF FOR CHAIRS 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed July 28, 1951 INVENTOR Chester J: .Barealzi BY afl faaaw ATTORNEY y 5, 1953 c. J. BARECKI 2,637,367

WRITIN G SHELF FOR CHAIRS Filed July 28, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 L l n INVENT cheafez' I Bareclii BY ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRITING SHELF FOR CHAIRS Chester J. Barecki, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application J uly'28, 1951, Serial No. 239,111

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to seating and more particularly to a writing shelf accessory for auditorium chairs or the like.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an accessory for auditorium seating which may be utilized to provide a writing shelf for the occupant of eachchair; to provide such a device which may be installed on the back of one chair and used as a shelf for writing or other purpose by the occupant of the next chair to the rear; to provide such devices which when so installed on the backs of chairs in a seating installation may be moved to positions of nonuse depending alongside the chair backs, thus to provide ample clearance between the rows of seating for the ingress andegress of people, but which may also be individually moved to positions of use wherein they provide writing shelves for the chair occupants; to provide such a device which is noiseless in operation; and in general to provide a writing shelf accessory which is convenient in use, reasonably economical in manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a rear and side perspective view of two auditorium chairs in front-to-rear alignment, each of the chairs being provided with the writing shelf accessory of the present invention, the shelf on the forewardmost chair being shown in an elevated position for use by the occupant of the rearwardmost chair, and the shelf on the rearwardmost chair being shown in a lowered position of non-use depending alongside the chair back;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, substantially horizontal sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary substantially vertical sectional view taken on lines 44 of Figures 2 and 3.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the auditorium chairs shown in Figure 1 are, per se, of more or less conventional construction, each comprising supporting standards ID, a seat I I, and a back l2 of plywood or the like supported by and between the standards ID in a forwardly downwardly sloping position. The present invention is intended as an accessory to such conventional chairs or seating, and the chairs may be supplied for installation either with or without this til . 2 accessory which consists of a writing shelf at? tachment.

Each attachment comprises a pair of vertically elongated brackets I3 having mutually in-,- wardly extending flanges Hi, the brackets being secured to the chair back l2 in rearwardly extending horizontally spaced relation as by means of woodscrews I5 passing through apertures in the flanges l4 and threaded in the plywood chair back I2. A tie-bar I6, here shown in the form of a rod, connects the brackets I3 in their upper rearward regions, said tie-bar I6 having its opposite ends reduced in diameter and passed through apertures in the brackets and then spun over to form a rivet-like head. Studs H are secured in like manner tothe bra ckets I3, being located forwardly and upwardly of the'tie-bar and extending mutually inwardly. The studs I! are formed with reduced, rounded inner ends.

A writing shelf I8, preferably of wood and of generally rectangular form, has its opposite side edges provided with grooves I9 into which extend the studs I! on the brackets, and the writing shelf is thus mounted on the studs for movement between positions of use or non-use. When in its non-use position shown at the right in Figure 1, the shelf depends alongside the chair back and is supported thus by contact of the studs I1 with the upper ends of the shelfs grooves I9. These ends of the grooves I9 are desirably provided with rubber inserts 20 which provide for noiseless lowering of the shelf to its non-use position. Also, the brackets I3 are provided with mutually inwardly extending lugs 21 against which the shelf rests so that it is supported in substantial parallelism with the forwardlydownwardly sloping chair back. It will be seen that when the shelf is in this depending non-use position, ample clearance will be provided between the chair on which it is installed and the next chair to the rear thus to permit passage of persons between the chairs.

In order to position the writing shelf I8 for use as shown at the left in Figure 1 and also in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the shelf is lifted by means of its handle recess 22 and then lowered rearwardly until the forward upper edge of the shelf engages beneath inwardly extending abutments 23 on the upper forward ends of the brackets I3. The underside of the shelf then rests on, and the shelf is supported by, the tie-bar I6 when the shelf is thus in its position of use.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a writing shelf accessory for auditorium seating which may conveniently be lowered to provide :clear passageway between rows of seating or moved to a rearwardly extending position of use for writing or other purposes. While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as thesame is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an auditorium chair or the like, a pair of brackets attached to the back of the chair and extending rearwardl therefrom; a horizontal tie-bar connecting said brackets and spaced rearwardly from the chair back; mutually inwardly extending abutments on said brackets above and forwardly of said tie-bar; studs extending mutually inwardly from the brackets between the tie-bar and said abutments; and a shelf having in its opposite side edges grooves into which extend said studs. said shelf, being thus movable on the studs between positions of, use and QIlrLlSB, and said shelf when in its non-use positipn depending between the brackets alongside the chair, back so as to provide maximum space in the rear of the chair and being supported in such position by contact of the studs with the upper ends of said grooves, and said shelf when in its use, position extending rearwardly from the chair back and having itsforward edge abutting the undersides of said abutments and being supported rearwardly thereof on said tie-bar.

2. In combination with, an auditorium chair or the like having a forwardly-downwardly sloping back, a pair of vertically elongated brackets attached to the back of the chair and extending rearwardlytherefrom; a horizontal tie-bar connecting said brackets and spaced rearwardly from the chair back; mutually inwardl extending abutments on said brackets above and forwardly of said tie-bar; studs extending mutually inwardly from the brackets between the tie-bar and said abutments; a shelf having in its opposite side edges grooves into which extend said studs, said shelf being; thus movable on the studs between positions of useand non-use, and said shelf when in its non-use position depending between the brackets alongside the chair back so as to provide maximum space in the rear of the chair and being supported in such position by contact of the studs with the upper ends of said grooves; mutually'inwardly extending lugs on the brackets below the tie-bar, against which lugs the depending shelf may rest so that the shelf when in its non-use position is supported in substantial parallelism with the sloping back of the chair; and said shelf when in its use position extending rearwardly from they chair, back and having its forward edgeabutting the undersides of said abutinents and beingzsupported rearwardly there,- CT on said. tie-bar.

CHESTER J. BARECKI.

References Cited in the file of. this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date 855,924 Gilles et a1; Jan. 19, 1869 2,012,660 Dunning Aug.,27, 1935 2,184,047 King Dec. 19; I939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 118,646 Germany Mai; 16, 1901 

